Meridia's Daughter
by Lady of the Evergreen
Summary: Once a small babe... Now put up for auction by her parents to wed... Which Daedric Prince will win her favour? And, more importantly, her heart? Got this idea from playing, you can guess, Skyrim. Hope you enjoy!
1. A New Daedra Is Born

Meridia huffed as presperation streaked down her forehead. She had been pushing for ages, trying to give her child life. Azura held her hand tightly, trying to encourage the Daedric Prince of Life. Meridia cried out at another contraction. Azura looked at her friend in worry. The nurse looked up at her in slight relief.

"She's doing fine, my lady. I can see the head, she's almost there."

Azura dabbed Meridia forehead and patted her hand for some sort of comfort.

"Come on, Meridia. One last push! You can do it! For your child!"

Meridia's face lit up with determination. She screamed in agony.

"FOR... MY CHILD!"

She went limp as the sounds of a babe entered the room. Her eyes were darkened and her face looked so strained and tired. She lifted her head weakly and faintly smiled at the small bundle the nurse was just finishing wrapping. She smiled back at the Lady of Infinite Energies.

"You have a beautiful daughter, my lady."

She held out her arms and was graced with the softness of the blanket her daughter was being caressed in. She started to cry and looked at Azura.

"She's perfect."

Azura looked over to see and smiled brighter then the dawn. The babe had her mothers stern look scrunched on her little face. Meridia smiled and put a gentle finger to her daughters little head.

"My little one, would you like to see your Aunt Azura?"

The baby squirmed a little and opened her eyes. Both Azura and Meridia were surprised to be met with startling golden eyes, like a wolf in the night. They had expected normal blue newborn eyes, but smiled at the little girl non-the-less. She reached out to Azura, making her smile. Meridia looked so weak and tired, so Azura gently picked up the little one from her grasp. Immediantly, Meridia fell asleep. Azura chuckled at her friend and looked at the little one as she walked out.

"Let's let your mother have a few minutes of sleep, little one. She needs it after being with you for nine months..."

The baby gurgled, making Azura laugh.

* * *

Azura was sitting with the newborn, when Sheogorath barged in, looking frantic. His eyes found her and he worriedly rushed over.

"Where's Meridia? Is she..."

Azura giggled at the worried Prince of Madness.

"She's fine, Sheo, she's just resting."

At that moment, the babe gurgled for more attention to her. This caught Sheogorath's attention.

"Is... Is this my little one?"

Azura smiled, holding the baby up for him to hold. He looked nervous at first, but ever so gently picked up the small creature. She waved her arms up, giggling merrily up at the white bearded man. He looked at her eyes mostly and looked as startled as the women when he saw them. He smiled tenderly at his daughter after a moment.

"She's beautiful... Just like her mother..."

"Well I would think so since she's my daughter."

He turned around to see Meridia in the doorway of the birthing chamber, looking a little better, but radiant in Sheogorath's eyes. He smiled at her lovingly.

"My love, I'm glad your awake, but that can't possibly be you..."

She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Because my wife has become more lovely then ever overnight somehow, but it seems impossible."

She relaxed and came over, lightly slapping his arm.

"You and your flattery, Sheo."

He chuckled and sat next to Azura, followed by Meridia at his side. She looked over to the bundle that was her child and smiled.

"Isn't she perfect, my love?"

He smiled and kissed his wife on the forehead.

"Yes, she is. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to witness her birth though."

Meridia smiled, kissing his cheek with affection.

"It's alright. I preferred not to let you see and hear me screaming in pain. Besides, Azura was there to help me through it."

He nodded towards the Lady of Twilight. She smiled and mouthed "my pleasure". Turning his attention back to his wife and child, he noticed that the babe was whimpering for her mother.

"Meridia, I think she wants you."

She looked down at her daughter and smiled, picking her upg with a motherly glow around her.

"Are you hungry, little one?"

The baby stopped crying and looked at her mother pleadingly. Meridia laughed at her daughter, beginning to help guide her child to latch on. She did so quickly and feasted contently. Azura felt she should let the family have some time alone, and hugged them both gently.

"I'll let you all get acquainted. I'll see you later,"

She held a hand to the little one.

"Be good for your parents"

With that she left the two Daedric Princes to smile down at their beautiful daughter.

* * *

Meridia was in the kitchen, cooking dinner when she heard her daughter cry again. She grinned to herself and went to her bedroom. As she walked, her mind wandered back to a name for her child. She and her husband had been trying to think of one since her birth, a name worthy of their daughter. She smiled down at her screaming daughter, picking her up, trying to soothe her.

"Shh shhh it's alright, little one. Your fine, your alright. Your mothers here..."

At the sound of her mothers soothing tone, the babe calmed down. She sighed contently and murmered into her mothers shoulder tiredly. Meridia sat on the bed, holding her daughter in a loving embrace. She looked back at her baby's face and smiled. She had most of her mothers features except for her eyes and her mischevious grin that was inherited from her father. A name struck her as she stared at her child.

"Nereida..."

She remembered her mother saying she had thought of that name for herself when she was born, but found her current name more suitable. She looked down at her baby and smiled at the name.

"Nereida?"

The babe responded to the name by looking up at her and giggling. Meridia smiled. Just then, Sheogorath came in, smiling at the scene.

"What's with all the giggling going on in here?"

Meridia came up to him, kissing him as she explained.

"I think I've found a name for our daughter..."

He smiled and looked over her shoulder at their little bundle of joy.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

She turned to her daughter, then back to her husband.

"How does Nereida sound?"

He grinned widely. He kissed his daughter lightly on the cheek, followed by his wife.

"It's a perfect name, for our perfect daughter."

She started to murmered in her sleep, making Meridia place her in her crib gently.

"Goodnight Nereida... We love you..."

Nereida smiled in her sleep as her mother and father left with smiles of their own.


	2. A Needed Husband

Nereida pushed her long hair from her face, trying to see if she was alright to look at. It was her, you could say, "suitor day" and she had to look presentable. She was wearing a sea green flowing gown with a single off the shoulder strap, also wearing something similar to something her Aunt Azura wore regularly on her arms. She didn't need any blush or anything of the sort, inheriting her mothers beauty. Her wavy ebony hair flowed like a river down her back. She heard her door open and turned to see her mother in the doorway, smiling.

"Hello mother."

Nereida hugged her mother with a smile playing on her lips. Meridia placed a hand on her daughters face gently.

"It was like only a century ago you were a small baby I could hold in my arms, now your a woman who's being set up with men I actually don't approve of."

Nereida looked at her mother, confused.

"I thought you and father decided together that I needed to marry?"

She huffed and crossed her arms.

"Oh we did, but it was his idea of "keeping you safe" and "not wanting you to fall in love with a mortal". It took a few months of convincing for me, but I still don't like that you are practically being forced to marry one of the Daedric lords!"

Nereida chuckled sadly. She didn't want this as much as her mother didn't, but it would please her father and ensure he would feel she was in safe hands. Meridia sensed the sadness in her daughters voice and grabbed her face.

"I can make your father stop this right now. You won't have to have a husband. You-"

Nereida smiled as she hushed her mother.

"No mother, it's alright. If it will get father to stop worrying about my wellbeing then I will do it."

Her mother huffed again, but laughed a little.

"Your as insane as your father sometimes."

She laughed with her in merriment. Her mother gently pulled me towards the door.

"Come on then, their all waiting in the dining room, but promise me one thing, Nereida?"

Nereida nodded.

"Please don't pick Mehrunes Dagon."

She laughed whole heartily.

"Not in a million years, mother"

* * *

When we got down the stairs, all the men stood, smiling at Nereida. Meridia walked to sit at the head with Sheogorath. Nereida sat at the end, next to Mehrunes Dagon and Sangiune. They both looked at her with a devious smile. She politely smiled back. Her father smiled encouragingly towards her. Sanguine leaned foreward and grabbed her hand.

"You look very lovely tonight, Nereida."

She grinned.

"Thank you, Saguine. That's very sweet of you to say."

He smiled tauntingly at Mehrunes Dagon. He sneered, but turned his gaze to her with a smile.

"I have to agree with Sanguine, you look absolutely stunning, my dear."

She had to hold back a cringe of discomfort for both of them, but smiled politely at them.

"Thank you both for the complements. You both look rather... fetching tonight as well."

They both seemed pleased by my answer and went back to the meal that was being brought out. I heard someone call my name from farther up the table and looked up from my salad to see Hircine looking at me. I blushed at his attention.

"Yes, Hircine?"

He smiled at gaining my eyes to his.

"What do you enjoy to do? I'm intrigued to see what your interests are."

She sighed in relief.

"At least someone is interested in something other then my looks."

She looked at Hircine again and put him down for her top choices. So far, he was the only one.

"Well, I do enjoy to read,"

This caused a glare of disapproval from both Sanguine and Mehrunes.

"And I love to just lay in the forest and listen to the animals around me. It's just... so calming for me."

He smiled.

"I quite agree with you, Nereida. Animals and the forests that welcome them are very calming for the soul."

She grinned at him. Hircine seemed to share a few of her interests. She grew a little angry at what Mehrunes said next.

"Yes, the forest and it's pitiful creatures are nice, but reading? Shouldn't you leave the knowledge for the men, Nereida?"

She forced a smile to be polite. She saw her parents give Mehrunes a disapproving glare, but hid it well.

"I quite enjoy reading for both reality and fiction, Mehrunes. It isn't wrong for me to like reading, now is it?"

It wasn't a question, it was a demand for his opinion. He thought it as a question, but before he could answer, Sanguine joined in.

"I think it is un-lady like for a beautiful woman such as yourself to be nose deep in a book."

Mehrunes nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, Sanguine. Reading and knowledge of the world should be left to men, not women who should be left in the kitchen and at home."

This made Nereida grind her teeth together in rage. She was a free willed woman and would not stand to be barred inside a house. Hircine seemed to scowl as well at the two Daedric lords. They were **definantly** not going to be chosen. If she was their wife, she'd be imprisoned in the bedroom or tied up in the kitchen. Hircine spoke his mind which made her like him more.

"I think Nerdeine is accustomed to her own opinions and reading is a wonderful way to learn and expand imagination."

Molag Bal stood and glared at Hircine. Malacath soon followed.

"Women are to be in the service of men. If they learn, then we have no power. We'd be weak, when men are the stronger gender."

"I quite agree, Molag Bal. Men are the leaders, to which women must follow and obey."

This displeased both Hircine and her. Those four Daedric lords were stereotypical and crude when it came to women. She got up and blankly looked at my parents.

"Mother, Father, may I speak with you in private?"

They looked at eachother in worry, before nodding and following her out into the hall. Once outside, Nereida enchanted the doors to be sound proof, preventing anyone from listening in. She huffed and rubbed her temples.

"Father, did you have to invite those four insufferable men? The only one that seems to have a grasp on how to treat women is Hircine! At least he won't tie a rope to my neck and make me obey like a dog!"

She sat on one of the chairs with disdain and frustration. Her mother came up and hugged her. She hugged her mother back in desperation.

"I think the best option for a husband would be Hircine, don't you?"

They looked at her nervously. Her father came up and held her face.

"Give the others a chance before you decide, please? One date with each of them, then you can decide."

She sighed holding her head in her hands in thought. Standing up, she hugged her father weakly.

"Alright father, I'll do as you ask. But on one condition."

He looked sadly at her.

"Yes, what is it?"

She sighed in the agony of the idea.

"I'll have my date with Hircine last, I just wish to get rid of the others quickly and then enjoy the date with Hircine."

Her mother came foreward and smiled.

"It looks like you've taken a liking to the Lord of the Hunt?"

Nereida glared, playfully tapping her mothers shoulder.

"He's the only one in there that's the most logical choice. And at least I won't be treated as a lapdog with him, hopefully."

She shook her head, but smiled and walked her daughter and husband inside.

"Then let's go tell them your plan, Nereida."


End file.
